Red Hearts' News

RED Hearts: News: Cold and Flu Relief, Naturally

admin — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:55:00 GMT

By Zoe Mendelson, 22, reporting from New York City on easy, organic remedies to get you through the sick season

I am not the kind of person who refuses to take an aspirin for a headache. "No, no, I don't like taking drugs…" I'm all for organic and and the politics of food, including working to launch this journal. But the no-compromise, pharmaceuticals-are-evil people drive me crazy. Medicine has its place. Take the aspirin, dude, your head will almost certainly stop hurting.

I think though, especially in this country, most of us fall on the other end of the spectrum. When we have colds and flus, we think it's normal to pump ourselves full of symptom-masking drugs that often do us more harm than good. Medicines designed to fight congestion dehydrate you. And that mucus is your friend—it's your body's natural way of getting the bad germs out of your system. Interrupting the process may not be the best route to getting better. What is? Besides TONS of SLEEP and WATER, here are some of my favorite natural cold and flu remedies:

1. Fresh Ginger Tea. Get some whole ginger, slice it into thin strips, and boil it in water for about a half hour. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and soothes nausea/stomach discomfort, too. I like to add lemon—the vitamin C is good for you, and the citrusy touch feels good on the throat. I scoop out almost an entire lemon. I love the pulp. I also add a little bit of apple cider vinegar, because I love the flavor (but not everyone does). Drink hot with lots of honey.

2. Reishi Mushrooms. The Reishi mushroom—a tree fungus that can be used to make medicinal tea—is one of those things that the Chinese have known about for a few thousand years and Western science is just beginning to catch onto. These mushrooms are amazing for your immune system and almost every other system in your body. They balance bacteria levels and are even good for alleviating stress. Check out www.reishi.com if you want to read the studies. Finding the cure-all fungi may take some hunting down in your nearest Chinatown, but I swear by them. Worth the effort and more.

3. Steam Tent. Put a big pot on the stovetop with about three inches of water in it. If you have eucalyptus oil, add a few drops. Boil the water and then turn off the flame. You've cooked yourself some serious relief. Take a towel and put it over your head. Lean over the pot, make a tent with the towel. Insta-steam room. It will make you cough your head off, but it can really clear your head and feels amazing in the end.

RED Hearts: News: Sweet (and Savory) Summer Fruit Salads

admin — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:18:00 GMT

By Amy Goldwasser, editor of RED, reporting from New York City, on the season's coolest no-cook combos

July is about fruit for me. Berries definitely come to mind before fireworks, and if the packaging were more convenient, I’d carry a watermelon with me at all times —right there with the cardigan that fights over-air conditioning.

What’s special about this July and fruit, though, is that I’ve discovered a way to make its juicy, summer sweetness even better: adding something savory. A drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette or a dose of fresh black pepper really brings the flavor of the fruit out in delicious contrast.

My summer 2012 favorite in this category, simple perfection with a little bit of surprise, is a watermelon, basil and balsamic vinaigrette salad. I like Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing—which, oooh, I now see they also recommend over pears. Good idea, Newmans. Ideally, the basil is homegrown (this is the easiest plant to keep happy, just a bit of sunshine and a windowsill will do), and the watermelon from a farmer’s market, but you can’t go wrong here. Just put it together to taste. You can also add cheese. Fresh mozzarella works well, as does feta. (I'm prone to taking the feta rec from this blogger who confesses, “I may or may not have eaten watermelon for dinner three nights in a row.”) If you're into fancying it up, or wielding a melon baller, or geometry—cubes are always cute—here's a classy amuse bouche version.

Berries, too, are instant balsamic BFFs. Just pour some over the top of strawberries, with or without a shake of black pepper. Or bring it into the dessert course: A scoop of vanilla gelato with blueberries and strawberries and balsamic will end any meal on the grill in style—kind of the elegant, grownup version of the old red-white-and-blue Firecracker Popsicle.

RED Hearts: News: Dropping F-Bombs

admin — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:34:00 GMT

By Maya-Catherine Popa, 23, reporting from New York City on feminism and a new book that reinvigorates the f-word for a new generation

“Are you having a boy or an abortion?” asks clumsy Admiral General Aladeen, Sasha Baron Cohen's character in the summer flick The Dictator. The whole theater erupts in laugher. While I usually enjoy Cohen's brand of boldly roasting contemporary figures, trends, and controversies, I am struck silent. His success lies precisely in his ability to expose real examples of bigotry. So why I should I be laughing?

We know that women, and young girls especially, are the target of human rights violations worldwide. In our own country, we have a 2012 presidential candidate who would like to see Roe v. Wade repealed. Yet I have sat in a classroom full of female students who, when asked if they considered themselves feminists, only gingerly raised their hands or altogether refused to identify with the term.

Julie Zeilinger, 19 -- a fellow Barnard student who’s witnessed an unsettling aversion to that f-word in these very classrooms -- is making huge strides to ensure the re-appropriation of feminism for our generation. Since founding the feminist blog TheFBomb.org in 2009, Zeilinger has been one of the Internet’s most influential voices on the issue, and her book, A Little F’d Up: Why Feminism is Not a Dirty Word comes out this week.

While second-wave giants like Bella Abzug (the Bella we should be reading about), Germaine Greer, and Gloria Steinem fought for our public and private voices, it often feels as though Americans in their teens and twenties have become complacent and apathetic, not willing to keep the movement in motion. Under the name of progress, we’re reluctant to argue against anyone who claims “Women are equal now, so what's the problem?”

Between anti-heroines in books, reality television portraying the shallowest, most Snooki- or bachelorette-skewed examples of feminine conduct, and longstanding cartoony depictions of bra-burners, the feminist movement for my generation has been ridiculed and tainted. It’s all too easy for the media to parody women -- and for women in turn to make fun of one another to prove that they can take a joke.

If girls and women our age can't seem to piece apart feminism's meaning from its slandered connotations, then how can we expect anyone else to? This includes policy makers and the people, women and men, we surround ourselves with every day. How do we reclaim the f-word? Women's rights are human rights -- isn't it about time the jokes stopped?

RED Hearts: News: Mo Money, Fewer Problems

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:13:00 GMT

By Zoe Mendelson, 21, reporting from New York City on an easy way to bank better and support your community

Bank Transfer Day is coming up—this Saturday, November 5. Now you may not think of your personal savings, or lack thereof, as having a big impact on the global financial system. But they do.

Here's the idea behind it: Big, corporate-level banks profit with your every transaction, moreso as they keep increasing fees that target those with less than $20,000 in their accounts. (Perhaps you know someone who fits this description?) Small, local-level credit unions are not-for-profit and spread the wealth close to home, in your neighborhood.

BTD—founded by 27-year-old Los Angeles art gallery owner Kristen Christian, who was just fed up with the fees and lack of control of her own money—is a call for consumers to take their savings out of the big banks and put it into credit unions.

If everyone who's already signed up to participate on Saturday does so, and remains credit union members for a year, they will have saved a combined $5 million as consumers.

Because big banks exist to profit, they tend to put their money—your money—where it is most likely to earn them more money. These days that often means investing in mountaintop coal removal, fracking, the Keystone XL pipeline, companies that make weapons sold to the government to be used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, private prisons, and multinational agribusiness corporations.

Big banks also see it as too risky to give loans to people who don't earn enough money or have poor credit by their terms, making it hard for anyone working class to get a start, at buying a first home or paying for their children's education or launching a small business.

It's worth considering if these are causes or practices you would choose to back. I won't even get into how big banks also caused the recession here… That's a talk for another day. But same bottom line: When all that matters is profit, decisions made do not usually benefit the general public.

Credit unions, on the other hand, are owned and run by the people who keep money in them. They usually focus on a specific geographic area and concentrate on helping build up that local economy. They work with clients to re-build their credit and offer low-interest loans. By providing capital, they support small businesses and create sustainable local communities.

Plus, with a credit union, you still earn interest and have a debit card the same way you do with the big institutions. And your money is just as safe; it's federally insured.

If any of this information has moved you to move your money this Saturday, look for the credit union closest to you, open an account, and step outside the mo' money, mo' problems cycle created by the banking giants in this country.

RED Hearts: News: A Pretty Reckless Halloween Costume — Taylor Momsen

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:22:00 GMT

By Charlotte Steinway, 23, reporting from New York City on the T.Mom tricks and treats

Two years ago I went as Lady Gaga for Halloween. Last year I was Ke$ha. This year I'll be going as Taylor Momsen. Let's just say I like channeling pop-star blondes wearing little to no pants? For those of you who don't know, Ms. Momsen—of the raccoon eyes and X-rated antics—followed a similar good-girl-gone-bad transition as her Gossip Girl character, Jenny Humphrey a.k.a. Lil' J. Once a wide-eyed cutie-pie playing Cindy Lou Who in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (yep, that was her, look it up), Momsen is now the platinum-locked lead singer of a "band" called The Pretty Reckless.

To dress up as T.Mom this year, I plan to channel the look of a sickly stripper with a serious dependency on kohl. For the same smoky-eyed effect that she achieves on tour, I'll be using this L'Oreal Eyeliner because, well, it's aggressive. Paired with a vampy dark red lipstick like this one, my beauty routine will be set. Now only if my hair would grow a foot in the next 11 days…

When it comes to Momsen fashion, I'm contemplating purchasing the closest thing I can find to the Lucite heels she stomps around in on-stage. These have dice and poker chips on view, while hers have the word "Tips" and a dollar bill inside. Add some fishnet stockings, a garter, and a lace slip like this one, and all I'll need is a leather biker jacket to represent Momsen's concerted efforts to achieve rocker-chic toughness—and my only semblance of modesty.

RED Hearts: News: Sick Advice: A Good Friend in Bad Times

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:18:00 GMT

By Cindy Morand, 22, interviewing inspirational author Lori Hope, from New York City

As Seth Rogan's and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's characters so spot-on remind us in 50/50, cancer touches young people's lives, too—whether it's a friend, a parent, a teacher, an aunt or uncle, a neighbor, a grandparent with the disease. (Will Reiser, Rogan's best friend, wrote the "cancer comedy" based on his own diagnosis at age 24.) But sometimes we don't exactly know how to really be there for someone we love who's ill. It's new territory and can seem so scary, so easy to say or do the wrong thing.

Fortunately, the writer, documentary filmmaker and two-time cancer survivor Lori Hope has just revised and expanded her book, Help Me Live: 20 things people with cancer want you to know, an invaluable guide for pretty much any human being. Odds are much better than 50/50—I'd say 100-percent—that her advice can move anyone out there to be a better friend, in sickness and in health. We interviewed the inspiring author.

Cindy Morand: So what are those things we should never say to someone with cancer? (We want to know!)
Lori Hope: Never say "You poor thing!" (We want compassion, not pity. Pity implies an upper-lower status thing, like the healthy person is looking down.) Never say "My aunt/teacher's mother/coach's sister/etc. died of lung/breast/colon/your kind of cancer." (We want success stories, not horror stories!) And don't go the "Just think positively and everything will be OK" route. (It can be impossible to think positively sometimes, and when people say that, we may superstitiously believe—in our vulnerable and sensitive state—that we are making our cancer worse by feeling sad and hopeless. Sad and hopeless is to be expected at times.)

CM: Noted. We will never. What should we say?
LH: Always say "I'm here for you, and I'm here to go through this with you." (NOTE: Make sure you ARE there when you promise to be!) Say "I will run errands/provide meals/take you to a funny movie." (Be specific when you offer to help.) Say "I love you." This is the number-one thing people with cancer in my survey of more than 600 survivors say they wanted to hear.

CM: Other than thinking before we speak, what are some ways that girls and young women can help?
LH: One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Benjamin Franklin: "The greatest question in life is, 'What good will I do with it?'" On a societal level, you can help by participating in cancer-support walks and other fundraisers. I recommend the Lung Cancer Alliance's Shine A Light on Lung Cancer events. Lung cancer kills more women than any other cancer—more than breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer combined. But more important is what you can do on a personal level, by being there for friends and loved ones who are ill. This includes teens and young adults whose parents or grandparents have cancer. When one person has cancer, the whole family has it.

CM: What lessons have you learned that you think young women can take away from your experience?
LH: From cancer I have learned (once again) that there is almost no greater satisfaction than knowing you have truly helped a friend. What young women—what anyone—can learn is to seek that satisfaction, and to listen to what your gut tells you about your friends. If someone doesn't seem to want to be around you when times are really tough, think about that, and know that you can choose people more willing to accept you even when you're not at your best.

CM: How do we go about changing the way society treats people who are ill (or old, or otherwise "different")?
LH: I would like society to find its heart again, to return to the "I am my brother's/sister's keeper" belief system. I want people to take the time and energy to realize that those who are suffering—be it from cancer, depression, MS, eating disorders, anything—need and deserve support and compassion. That means time. Open ears. Open hearts. Open minds.

CM: Speaking of…what are you "hearting" these days?
LH: 50/50, see it! The Onion television (especially GOMF); my terrier mix Bean and chihuahua mix Penny Too; and my stepmom, Jude, who's one of my best friends.

RED Hearts: News: Stop Girl Bullying: An Expert's Advice

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:23:00 GMT

By Jordyn Turney, 21, interviewing Odd Girl Out author Rachel Simmons, from San Diego, CA

I've been recommending Rachel Simmons' incredible Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls since I first read it years ago. This is a book that I can honestly say has changed my life—and it's just been revised and updated with a 2011 edition. Getting the chance to interview its author was crazy exciting for me.

Jordyn Turney: What made you want to focus on "girl bullying?"
Rachel Simmons: When I was eitght years old, my friend "Abby" made my friends run away from me. I never forgot how painful it was to come to school and feel so alone. In college, I heard a lot of people talking about similar heartbreaks they'd suffered at the hands of girls. When I went looking for research on the topic, there was almost nothing! Crazy, right? Because there are, well, a LOT of mean girls out there. So I decided to start doing interview myself, and everyone had a story to tell.

JT: What's the key to having healthy female friendships?
RS: I think there are three things every girl should aspire to in order to have great relationships. First, stay connected to your feelings and thoughts. If you find yourself saying "I don't know" a lot, you might be disconnecting from the things you feel strongest about. If you're the kind of girl who tends to go with the flow and do what other people want, you might end up getting taken advantage of by other people.

Second, practice honesty in your relationships. That doesn't mean saying every little thing that comes into your mind, but being able to be real with a friend when something's up and you need to share. It takes practice to get good at speaking your truth well—so go easy on yourself, and don't expect to be perfect at it the first time. But don't give up, either!

Third, make sure you know your own boundaries in a relationship—the point at which you're not cool with something, or where you really feel uncomfortable with how someone acts or treats you. No matter how much you love someone, there are limits to what anyone can fairly tolerate.

JT: What advice do you have for anyone who's gone through female bullying experiences?
RS: The most important thing is never to give up on other girls and women. I've met so many people who say, "I don't trust girls. My only friends are guys." I think that is a tragedy. Women and girls make amazing friends, and their companionship gives us something that no one else can. Have a little faith. You are not some freak who can't connect with girls, I swear. You just haven't met the right ones yet.

JT: Because this is I Heart Daily, we want to know—what things are you "hearting" right now?
RS: Yay, hearting! Music-wise I love Pandora like crazy, and specifically Meg Hutchinson, Adele, and The xx right now. In books, A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. I'm not super-fashion-y, but I did just buy a very cute blood orange down-to-my-toes dress by DVF that I can't wait to wear. And I hearted working all summer at Girls Leadership Institute Summer Camp with nearly 200 incredible teen girls!

RED Hearts: News: Intern on the Inside

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 01:40:00 GMT

By Cindy Morand, 22, reporting from New York, NY, on how to make an internship pay

I hear you. The toughest thing about an internship is that it is nearly by definition unpaid. As someone who's done several of these, I know that's frustrating, and for some people, just unworkable.

If you can pull it off financially, it's all true what they tell you about gaining valuable experience.

And perhaps even a paying job at the end.

Plus, internships are about exploration, a career-starting chance to test-drive a workplace or entire industry you might not even know existed. My favorite site for information on internships—they rank hundreds—is here. There's even a "Top 10 Most Unusual Experiences" category. (NASA or Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, anyone?)

Should you find yourself in a seriously air-conditioned office this summer—I'm at the Federal Reserve—here are a few quick strategies (if not paychecks) I've picked up toward making the most of your internship:

Find a Mentor, Make Friends. I strongly encourage you to network with colleagues in your department, as you can learn about the different roles in your area—and people like it when you share a passion for what they happen to have chosen to do with their lives. A pro you connect with is apt to teach you tons and champion you in their industry (or at least write you a letter of reference).

Look Smart. Always appearing professional goes beyond the obvious about no revealing clothes or flip-flops. Wear jewelry that people can see not hear. Surprise them by being the most, rather than the least, conservative dresser in your department. Skip the perfume, because you never know who the person next to you will associate with a particular scent. Always have a pen and notebook on you; take notes.

Ask Questions (But Not Too Many). I know you are smart, but you are not supposed to know everything and employers are aware of that. If something is unclear, ask, in this order: the Internet, a trusted colleague or your supervisor. Google goes first. Only direct questions to your manager if you cannot find answers elsewhere, or you truly don't understand unless you get the information first-hand. Look up terms you don't know. Believe me, I did not enter this internship speaking Federal Reserve. I've recently Googled "P&I," "collaterized debt obligation (CDO)" and "healthcare reimbursements," and no one's the wiser but me.

Use Social Media for Good—Not Gossip. Coming from your generation, you might have more social media knowledge than some of your older colleagues; if this is the case, volunteer your expertise. However, never put anything about your job on the Internet—no tweeting, no Facebook posting, no blogging. Just don't. It lives there forever, the CEO of your company can read it, and you want to impress them with the same integrity and discretion you demonstrate in the real world office.

RED Hearts: News: GROW-ing Up

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:47:00 GMT

By Meike Schleiff, 23, reporting from Renick, West Virginia, on an amazing U.S.-Haiti organization—that she started

For those of you who've ever dreamed about being able to spend your time working on some wild fantasy project, but never truly thought that it could become a reality, here is a pseudo-success story!

No fanfare or princess-worthy wedding or instant glory or any of that. But something that seems to be truly working out.

When I graduated from college in 2008, I decided to travel to Haiti as a volunteer. It's like when your aunt says you just need to apply yourself and you can do anything you want to. I didn't really believe it would change anything until I did it.

That first trip to Haiti to teach English has since grown into a nonprofit organization that I founded and now direct, The GROW Project.

It includes a bunch of young (and older) folks in Haiti and in West Virginia, who are working together on a local level to understand and solve problems that each community is facing—mostly around health care and education.

Most of all though, we've made friends between a lot of people who at first weren't sure they had anything in common. In our world—where space, resources, and time have to be shared between more and more people—we need to make the effort to understand each other better.

If this is the kind of thing that appeals to you, you have a personal invitation from me to visit our site and drop me a line to let me know how you'd like to be involved. That might even mean taking your own destiny-changing trip to Haiti, as we have two coming up—in July to help build classrooms and in December with an international youth exchange and language program.

But whatever you believe is important, there are ways to make it as close to the center of your life as you'd like it to be. And if you take action, trust that you'll find others who feel the same about an issue and are more than willing to give you a hand.

As Paul Hawken wrote, "You are brilliant and the earth is hiring." Apply now.

RED Hearts: News: Hot Drink, Cool Custom

admin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 01:17:00 GMT

By Zoe Mendelson, 20, reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the best shared beverage in the Americas

Here in Buenos Aires, they look at you funny if you ask for your coffee to go. They'll giggle at the silly tourist if they see you walking around holding a little paper cup. This seems odd to me, considering their beverage of choice involves carrying a container of loose leaves, a gourd, a metal straw and a giant thermos of hot water.

This is mate: just about the most ubiquitous thing in Argentina.

If you're a North American who wants to try a hot drink with more ritual than anything you get at Starbucks, two things to know—it's pronounced mah-tay, and you can get a whole range of products here.

Yerba mate, the plant from which mate is prepared, is a species of holly. The leaves and parts of the branches are dried and steeped in hot water inside a gourd and sipped from a metal straw that has a filter at the bottom. It has more caffeine than coffee, and more antioxidants than green tea.

But what's really special about it is that mate is for sharing, in a ceremonious, social custom. One person does the serving, pouring the water and then handing it to the person on their right. That person then drinks it to the bottom and hands it back to the server, who fills it for the next person. Everyone shares the same straw and nobody bats an eye about it. Also, if you say "gracias" when the mate is handed to you it means, "no thanks."

Drinking mate is more sensory than drinking coffee or regular tea. You carefully pour the water in at an angle, so as not to wet all of the leaves at once. Then you watch the leaves hydrate and expand. You hear them crackling in the hot water, and you hear the slurping up of air bubbles every time someone finishes a gourd.

Mate has a strong, bitter, very vegetal flavor that takes some getting used to. But don't worry, the Argentines aren't adverse to adding sugar. "Mate dulce, para amarga es la vida," they say, which means, "Sweet mate, for life is bitter."

RED Hearts: News: Women Making News

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:12:00 GMT

By Jessica Goodman, 21, reporting from Los Angeles on her favorite broadcast journalists

Getting ready for school in the mornings, middle school through high school, my brothers and I would watch the Today show. It made me want to become a journalist, and it made Katie Couric one of my role models. As a team, she and Matt Lauer were Olivia and Elliot on Law & Order: SVU to me.

I was there watching when Katie Couric left Today to become the first female network evening news anchor, and Meredith Viera took over for her. Now they are both stepping down—or up—from their top-of-the-spectrum jobs to pursue new things. It's like the news pros want to make news themselves.

These two women had dream jobs, or at least my idea of dream jobs. So their decisions to move on reminds me that dreams change from time to time; people change as well. And you can't always listen to other people or public opinion.

Like Katie Couric, girls need to continue to follow their dreams. Today, we get to experience fourth-wave feminism through the Internet. We've been so fortunate to be the first generation to see a woman run for president, the first woman Speaker of the House and the first woman solo evening news anchor.

Five years after Couric hit that milestone, she is surely bound for another. She recently came out with a book, The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons From Extraordinary Lives. It's a collection of first-hand stories from women (and men) we all look up to. It's about being brave enough to change your life to try the next thing, whatever you're compelled to do.

You might want to start Today.

RED Hearts: News: We Heart Meg in the City

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:08:00 GMT

By RED editor Amy Goldwasser, who interviewed a blogger she loves on the LGBT life in New York City

Love-not-hate for Valentine's Day. Pretty basic stuff—you'd think it would be easy, right? But you'd also think, Who could possibly vote against this guy's most powerful, heartfelt presentation in defense of same-sex marriage to the Iowa House of Representatives? Well, it's never easy to overcome prejudice or have to worry about how people perceive you in this world (and who hasn't been there?), especially when you're staring down a new set of strangers in a new city at a new school. The transition can be even tougher if you're gay. Meg Dukes, 18, author of the awesome Meg in the City blog on Matthew's Place, a cool, useful and above all, safe place for young members of the LGBT community, writes a winning, first-hand chronicle of her life, from coming out as a high school student in rural Colorado to sorting out the shift to college freshman at NYU. Meg assures us that—like the slush covering her current hometown—it gets better.

How did you discover Matthew's Place—or how did they discover you?
There was a program for all seniors in my high school that would connect us with various local businesses and organizations in our fields of interest for internships, and I was introduced to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. I will admit I had not previously heard about MSF or knew who Matt was before applying to be their fall intern. That grew into a summer internship and the blog.

What would you blog back to yourself now in your unincorporated county in rural Colorado? Advice on feeling less alone?
I would tell myself just hang on a little bit longer—you will make it to college and it will be everything you expect it to be. Some advice I would give is to set a goal and do everything in your power to reach it. If it's moving from rural Colorado to New York City or making the basketball or soccer team, just pick something to focus on other than feeling alone. Because in attempting to accomplish your goal, you will more than likely make friends along the way.

Any words of wisdom about coming out (or, as you write about, coming out all over again to a new set of people in college)?
Coming out it isn't something that can be rushed into. You have to do it at a moment that feels right to you and only if coming out will not endanger your well being. Coming out again at university has been relatively easy, at least for me here. There's a joke at NYU that everyone is assumed gay until proven otherwise. My philosophy toward being out on campus has been just to be me—not to advertise, but also not to lie or hide.

And lastly, the plain old fun: What are you "hearting" in these pre-Valentine Days?
I was watching The Chicago Code—again—on Hulu when I got this email. I'm also hearting Glee, Pretty Little Liars, Grey's Anatomy, and Law & Order: SVU. I am in love with Mariska Hargitay. I also recently discovered UK Skins and have started watching the US version, but if I were to go into more detail about my thoughts on that it would require another interview. In terms of news I am a total Rachel Maddow junkie. I download her podcasts every night, and I even when to two of the live shows she hosted right before Christmas. I also read a lot of the Huffington Post and New York Times. Fashion-wise, I am pretty easy to please, as long as I'm comfortable. I wear a lot of jeans and button-ups with sweaters and a pair of Converse I may need to replace soon because I've started wearing through them. I also got a fabulous pair of riding boots that I would love to wear more often if it wasn't so slushy in New York right now.

RED Hearts: News: Now You're Cooking (OK, How About Now?)

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:03:00 GMT

By Kathleen Hicks, 22, reporting from Charlotte, NC, on her happy break from fast food.

About three years ago, whenever I would get a grumble in my stomach, my first thoughts would always be "Where are my keys?" I would throw on some shoes and drive myself to one of the many fast food restaurants down the road. I'd pull up to the window, fork over the $8 and take my greasy and sometimes cold food back home to eat in front of the TV.

Until one day I turned on the TV, and a cooking show happened to be on. Suddenly, while I watched the chef prepare this beautiful and delicious meal with so few items, it hit me: Why am I buying food that doesn't fill me up, isn't healthy and is eating away at my bank account?

With that, I dumped my dinner, watched the rest of the show, wrote down the ingredients I needed and drove to the grocery store. I will say I was quite scared to attempt cooking, but I knew if I could do it this once, I had a whole new world of food possibilities ahead. By the end of the process I had a burnt finger and a lot of dishes—but I also had a meal I had made myself.

Ever since I've been hooked on cooking shows and surfing the Internet for new ways to prepare ordinary ingredients. I want people my age to know how great it feels to take charge of what you put in your bodies. Now's the time to join the movement of Young People Cooking, and start making responsible food choices!

It's simple: Just look up a recipe that sounds good and try it. It doesn't matter if you think you're a horrible cook. If you're scared, call some friends over and make it a party. Find healthier ways to make the fast foods you've been paying for then put your own spin on them. Like instead fries that have been deep-fried in oil, why not bake sweet potato fries in the oven? You're eating healthier, saving money and meeting a delicious new snack.

RED Hearts: News: Insta Internships - In Your Future Field

admin — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:08:00 GMT

By Jessica Goodman, 20, Northridge, CA, on a wise way to spend winter break

Here's the good part about being home for the holidays in 2010, having that conversation with parents about Your Future: Even they aren't going to tell you it's an easy time to find a paying job.

As the world interns, so should you. What these internships don't offer in pay, they often do in feeding your interests (and your ultimate career goals). Winter break is the perfect time to sit down, research—and maybe start applying for—spring or summer internships. Might as well take part in your path of success now!

First, you want to focus on your future field and make sure you're looking at established companies that can provide both school credit and experience. Stay away from intern-seeking individuals on Craigslist, because you just never know.

For aspiring journalists, check out www.cubreporters.org. There are great postings for all realms of media: magazines, websites, newspapers, television, and radio. This is where I found an awesome internship at KIIS FM—and got to count Ryan Seacrest as a colleague.

If you're obsessed with political science, look into joining a campaign in your own city or state—or in Washington, D.C. , to learn from the real core of U.S. government. One great website for political posts is www.publiceye.org/aboutpra/jobnews.html.

Dream of curing cancer, or at least our nation's health-care crisis? Hospitals and law offices generally offer internship programs. Simply search for and check out the sites of these institutions near you.

Of course, most schools also have internship listings. Go beyond the general career center and check with a favorite high school teacher, college professor, or your individual department. But you're on break now! See what you can find online, then just enjoy your head start until the next semester begins.

RED Hearts: News: Wanna Be Starting Something?

admin — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:37:00 GMT

By Zulay Regalado, 21, reporting from Miami, FL, on a website that matches your personal passion with an important (and fun) cause

Want to start a movement in your community but you don't know where to begin? Inspired to do something—only you're not sure exactly what?

Dosomething.org is a non-profit organization that gives teens free reign to stand up for the causes you love. You can find ways to support any issue you care about, from poverty to racial discrimination and health to animal testing, or start your own club with friends to help raise awareness. You can launch a petition, become an activist for your community, or even stand beside Paramore's Hayley Williams in her fight against sex trafficking.

Whatever your areas of interest, the site provides interesting facts and background to help you decide where best to apply your energy. (Did you know that there are six million more women than men in the world, yet women only receive 11 percent of the world's income?)

On top of making the world a better place, it's a fun way to earn some community service hours for school and even add that extra humanitarian touch to your college resume. By connecting with others around the things you're passionate about, "something" can mean everything.